Quite a few people have found Goat Berries recently looking for information on whether goats can eat watermelon rinds — so I thought I’d answer that question, at least as it pertains to my girlies.

First of all, you should know that cutting up watermelon around here is quite an event. First, there’s the fruit for the humans, then there’s the part close to the rind but not quite the rind for the goaties, then there’s the rind itself for both the goaties and the hens — all of which are cut up into bite-sized pieces.

The experience with the goats meeting watermelon and its rinds went a little like this:

1st attempt: Both curious. Pasqualina turned up her nose at fruit and rind; Pinta ate a few pieces of fruit.

2nd attempt: Both curious. Pasqualina turned up her nose at fruit and rind; Pinta ate a few pieces of fruit.

3rd attempt: Pinta curious. Pasqualina turned up her nose at fruit and rind without even looking; Pinta ate more fruit and a few pieces of rind.

4th attempt: Pasqualina uber-curious! She finally ate some rind and some fruit, BUT only if I held the roundish container in my hand or handfed her; she wouldn’t eat it out of the oblong container on the ground (even though that is essentially how she eats her feed). Pinta, as always, gobbled up fruit and rind no matter where it was.

So, can goats eat watermelon rinds? Well mine can (looks like it’s time to add another food to the Goat Eats list!), but it took a while for one of them to come around to the idea. Pasqualina surprised me, as she’s usually more adventurous with food; there was something about the watermelon that kept her away, though, even when she saw her daughter was eating it.

In any event, they never get a a whole lot of watermelon or rinds at once; Pinta stops eating them after five pieces or so anyway. But remember, as always, when feeding your goats new things, do so in moderation so you don’t upset their tummies!

Well, we haven’t tried Watermelon rinds, but there’s always a first time for everything. They do love to have an apple treat and they love love love Comfrey leaves. The little kids are learning to take it while they can get it, before the big Mama’s eat it all.

I find it amazing that nothing…I mean, nothing goes to waste on a farm. The chickens get meat, veggies, old spaghetti, anything scraps. The goats get more of the good stuff. But really where’s there anything left for the compost pile???!

Love the site! From my experience, the chickens will very much enjoy the watermelon and lots of other things natural and fresh, including strawberries and pumpkin pie! And I never cut anything up for them – 😉

we just gave our goats some watermelon rinds the night before last and they did love them afterall. i offered them some apricots while milking yesterday, they liked those too and spit out the pits! when we had chickens they would devour half a spent watermelon if we had one to offer.

Haha, mine spit out the apricot pits too! And she also does it with small plums 🙂

My horse loves watermelon .. If I stop at a road side seller I ask if they have a cracked one … if so I take it home finish splitting it and give it to him 1/2 at a time. He like grapes too but not apples or carrots … The goats like watermelon if I put the whole rind down where they and eat what they like … rest goes to the chickens.

My pet goat Max got his first cantaloupe and watermelon this week, At first he turned up his nose after taking a nibble of cantaloupe. I walked away and when I came back a few min. later it was gone. Then today I tried watermelon, at first no thank you but now As I look out the window I see him munching away on it.